Newsletter

The European Parliament's first act in 2012 will be to elect its new President, fourteen Vice-Presidents and five Quaestors. The three candidates declared so far to succeed Jerzy Buzek are Martin Schulz (S&D, DE), Diana Wallis (ALDE, UK) and Nirj Deva (ECR, UK).

Recent political developments in Hungary will be debated with Commission President Barroso on Wednesday at 15.00h. MEPs will comment on Hungary's controversial new constitution, which took effect on 1 January 2012, the laws implementing it and other measures taken by Viktor Orbán's government.

Denmark's "Europe at work" programme and priorities for its six-month Presidency of the Council (January-June 2012), will be presented by Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt on Wednesday at 10.00h, and then debated with MEPs.

Parliament's demands with regard to talks on a new international agreement on reinforced economic union will be set out in a resolution to be voted on Wednesday. The resolution will also stress the need to ensure that any new economic governance system promotes growth and solidarity.

Europe is throwing away ever more fridges, phones and gadgets and often failing to recover valuable raw materials, MEPs warn. Legislation to improve collection and recycling of electric and electrical waste, while cutting red tape for producers, has already been provisionally agreed with Member States and will be put to a vote on Thursday.

Pest control products - to repel insects or kill bacteria - must be approved as safe before they can be sold in the EU. On Thursday MEPs will vote on a provisional deal, already negotiated with the Council, which provides for stricter health and environment checks on these "biocides", whilst streamlining the marketing approval process.

At least 50% of food wastage in the EU today is avoidable, and urgent measures are needed to tackle it, says a draft resolution to be voted on Thursday. MEPs will suggest awareness campaigns, food education courses, better packaging and new sell-by date labelling. In a separate debate with Commissioner Cioloş, they will also air the issue of rising food production costs.

The EU's Galileo satellite navigation programme should get proper long-term funding and its GMES earth observation programme should be officially included in the EU's multi-annual financial plans, says a draft resolution on "EU space strategy" to be put to vote on Thursday.